N.C. Senate candidates Lee, Bichler clash over AI ad, film incentives and growth

WILMINGTON, N.C. — Republican state Sen. Michael Lee and Democratic challenger Jessica Bichler faced off Thursday at a forum in Wilmington, discussing issues including data centers, transportation, film incentives and interbasin water transfers.

The candidates spoke at the Greater Wilmington Business Journal’s Power Breakfast at the Wilmington Convention Center.

Bichler also challenged Lee over a controversial AI-generated campaign advertisement depicting her inside her Wilmington yoga studio.

The advertisement includes AI-generated images and attacks Bichler over her political views.

“There are people in our community who don’t understand that the images he generated are AI-generated and are confused about what they are actually seeing on the screen, and we know that AI has been used in political advertising to deceive people,” Bichler said.

Bichler filed a cease-and-desist letter, claiming the advertisement is factually incorrect.

Lee said his office is reviewing the letter and acknowledged that some images in the advertisement were created using AI.

“There is a notation big and bold that some of the pictures were used with AI and most people realize that it is because the pictures are different, but we do have that notation on there,” Lee said.

The advertisement includes the line, “Some liberals lean to the left, some stretch all the way to woke, but yoga instructor Jessica Bichler, she’s totally bonkers.”

Lee and Bichler also offered differing views on the growth of data centers in North Carolina.

“It’s important to have stable, dispatchable energy which is important to our employers like Corning, GE and others, we need to make sure we protect that energy as well,” Lee said.

Bichler raised concerns about the industry’s impact on communities.

“We have an industry that is so powerful that they are able to run roughshod over communities in a way that communities don’t understand what’s going into their backyard,” Bichler said.

The candidates also disagreed over the state’s film incentive program as officials address a funding shortfall for local productions.

Bichler disputed the characterization of the situation as mismanagement by the Film Commission.

“And this idea of saying that it is mismanagement from the Film Commission, I think is a real misrepresentation,” Bichler said.

Lee disagreed.

“I mean, respectively, that is not true. They audit all the books, they granted $100 million more than they had,” Lee said.

The candidates found some common ground when discussing interbasin water transfers and the state’s growing demand for water.

Both said the upstream town of Fuquay-Varina should not take water from the Cape Fear River without replenishing the supply.

“If we are going to do any sort of exchange between any communities, it is 100% essential that they return that water to us, otherwise we will not continue to live and thrive,” Bichler said.

Lee said water availability is becoming an increasingly important issue across North Carolina.

“This is a statewide issue unlike transportation or energy or anything else. We are a growing state and we are having significant water quantity issues,” Lee said.

The candidates also addressed transportation and other issues affecting the region during the forum.